This invention relates to golf putter construction and more particularly to a golf putter construction having simplified manufacturing techniques and improved playing characteristics.
Urethane and/or other putter face inserts presently are popular in golf putter construction designs because the insert gives improved feel to a player. A number of putter constructions have been designed to allow an insert to placed along the ball striking face of the putter. In addition, adapters constructed from urethane have been employed with conventional putter design, as described, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,675.
In addition, it is know to have color coordinated putter constructions. In the prior art designs with which I am familiar, the ball striking face of the putter is made up of metallic surface part and a plastic material surface part. The metallic part commonly is brass, and the remaining portion of the head is a plastic construction. Although the plastic part of the putter head can have various colors associated with it, the ball striking surface essentially is brass (or other metallic material), and the feel obtained from the urethane insert is missing.
While these prior art constructions work for their intended purpose, there still is a need for a putter head that gives the feel of a urethane insert but provides the ability to color coordinate the putter head for other purposes. I have devised a putter construction which permits relatively low cost, high volume production output. My construction has a number of advantages heretofore not available with the prior art. First, the putter head appears to be constructed entirely from elastrometric material, preferably urethane, and in particular, the ball striking surface is a urethane surface, and no metallic material comes into direct contact with the golf ball. Consequently, the putter exhibits excellent feel. In addition, because the ball-striking surface is all urethane, the surface can be form to provide improved over spin characteristics to golf balls.
While the entire putter head appears to be non-metallic, in fact, the putter head is designed so that the swing weight of the putter head is a combined weight of a mass of material encapsulated by the urethane and the weight of the urethane itself. For purposes of this specification, the shaft weight is not included in the determining the swing weight of the club. This method of construction has a number of other advantages. First, the putter swing weight is changed merely by adjusting the weight of the material mass within the urethane, so that the putter weight can be easily tailored to individual preferences. As indicated above, the development of a completely encapsulated putter design allows the putter manufacturer to utilized conventional urethane-molding techniques so that the putter can be constructed at relatively low cost and in mass quantities. In addition, the putter head design can be altered easily, merely by a simple mold redesign. Finally, because urethane is utilized, it is a simple matter to colored coordinated the putter, either with the shaft and/or with some other desired motif For example, in designing a putter for woman, the color of the shaft and head can be easily altered so that the putter design can match the golf bag or, to color coordinate with the players attire. Likewise, the putter is easily adapted for promotional purposes, and IBM "blue," Caterpillar "yellow," or university color designs, for example, are readily provided. Finally, as indicated above, because the head is molded, the ball striking face of the putter can be adapted to provide a desired ball trajectory, especially over spin, during the putting stroke.